The most pressing questions for both the Jets and Colts for today’s season opener at Giants Stadium lie in the same place – on defense. Run defense to be specific.

In spots this preseason, the Jets have had their problems stopping the run – primarily because of their loss of NT Jason Ferguson for the season and no suitable replacement. Rookie James Reed will start today and rotate with newly-signed Steve Martin.

“We can’t let them run the ball, period,” Herman Edwards said. “This league is a passing league, because that’s what the fans see – the big plays when everyone gets excited. If you can’t stop the run, you’ve got no shot. No shot.”

Edwards then pointed out that Peyton Manning threw the ball 51 times against the Jets in the teams’ second meeting last year and the Jets won 27-17.

Why did the Jets win? Because Curtis Martin ravaged the Colts defense for a career-high 203 yards.

“I’d prefer not to look back, that was a nightmare,” Colts’ coach Jim Mora said. “I know he had over 200 yards. He played extremely well. Their whole team did. They beat the heck out of us. He’s one of the top backs in the league. We’re going to have to play good team defense and make sure we tackle as a team.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s exactly the way the Jets are thinking in their plans to defend Colts back Edgerrin James, the two-time defending NFL rushing champion.

James rushed for 1,709 yards and 13 TDs last season.

“You know they’re going to run the ball,” Jets DT Shaun Ellis said. “It’s going to take all seven of us to stop him.”

Said Steve Martin, who’ll make his Jets debut today, “You cannot take a bad angle or he’ll run past you or run through your arm tackle. He’s a complete back, one of the backs of the future with his size, power, speed and explosiveness. Then, he catches the ball as well as any back in the NFL. He’s a double, triple, quadruple threat.

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Of the past 13 meetings between the Jets and Colts, 10 have been decided by eight points or less . . . The home team has won five of the last six meetings, though the Colts have won eight of the last 11 against the Jets on the road. . . . The Jets have won nine of their last 12 home games.

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Vinny Testaverde enters the season 21-9 as a starter for the Jets. He has 14 TDs and 7 INTs in six starts against the Colts. . . . Martin has rushed for 1,339 yards in 12 games against the Colts, with seven 100-yard games. He’s one of only three players in NFL history to begin his career with six 1,000-yard seasons. . . . James has an NFL-record 35 TDs (26 rushing, 9 receiving) in his first two seasons. The Colts are 17-2 when James rushes for 100 or more yards. . . . Jets’ S Victor Green has 11 INTs in the last two seasons, second only to Miami’s Sam Madison (12).

Will the Jets pass rush improve this season? They tied for second in the NFL with 16 sacks in the preseason. Rookie Mike Cecere, who’s unlikely to be on the active roster, had four sacks.